Nicky Lopez Has True Perspective Amidst White Sox Horror Season

By Paul Banks

Major League Baseball draws big crowds, elicits huge ratings and inflames passions, which makes it truly more than just a game. However, it is still a game, and that means it's just win or lose, not life or death.

Chicago White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez knows that, as his team is currently on pace to finish this season 42-120.

Nicky Lopez . . . big heart on a bad ballclubPhoto byChicago White Sox

That result would place them one game worse than the infamous 2003 Detroit Tigers, who finished 43-119. It would also make them only marginally better than the team that most baseball historians consider the worst of the modern era — the 1962 New York Mets, who ended up 40-120.

We caught up to Lopez at his first annual Nicky Lopez 16" Softball Charity Classic, where we asked him how he goes about his business everyday, amidst this utterly lost season.

"It's tough to always constantly think 'I wish that went better, I wish this went better,' obviously it's not the season we wish we were having," he said in our exclusive interview.

"But if you put things into perspective, me and my wife went to visit kids at the children's hospital at Rush (University Medical Center) and to see them fighting for their lives — and I go to a field (for work everyday) and if I go 0-for-4 I'm upset; but there's people who are suffering and fighting for their lives."

It was an especially powerful answer from Lopez, but he wasn't done.

"To put it all in perspective, and to take it day by day and try to have fun with it (the rest of the season), it's kind of (about) changing your mindset," he added.

The 16-team softball tournament event was staged at Mount Greenwood Park on the South Side, which is only about an hour's drive from Naperville, the Chicago suburb where Lopez grew up.

Obviously it was extra special for Lopez to host a charity fund-raiser so close to his home. The event benefited charities that help support adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their families.

Lopez grew inspiration to champion this cause after he lost former classmates and his own brother to the disease at a young age.

His father, Bob Lopez, is a 16-inch Softball Hall of Famer who took part in the tournament. He told WGN News it was an honor to help raise money to fight back against cancer in young adults.

"Softball is very near and dear to our hearts," Lopez continued.

"I grew up on a softball field, so all these guys down the right-field line are heroes to me. I looked up to my dad and I followed him around his whole career and my whole childhood — I grew up idolizing them (his dad's team).

"This is bigger than me. I play baseball for a living. This is honoring two foundations for cancer research, and for giving back to people who are going through hard times. So this is about more than just coming out here and competing. It's about having fun with it and donating to a good charity."

Paul M. Banks is publisher of The Sports Bank and contributing editor for USA TODAY and NFL Wires. See https://www.thesportsbank.net/ or https://ravenswire.usatoday.com/author/paulbanks/